THE WOLFMAN: THEN AND NOW

The Wolfman is being released in theaters today so here’s a look at the film sixty nine (holy crap) years ago and now.

May people reading this might not have even been alive when the first Wolf Man film was released back in 1941. It starred Clause Rains, Warren William, Ralph Bellamy, Bela Lugosi, Lon Chany and a sleue of others.

In the reboot directed by Joe Johnston, featuring Benecio del Toro (who plays Lawrence Talbot), they tried to keep to the original as much as possible. In case you live in a cave and aren’t aware of the storyline the synopsis is as follows: Thought absent from his ancestral home of Blackmoor for many years, aristocrat Lawrence Talbot returns to find his missing brother at the request of the latter’s fiancee, Gwen. He learns that a creature has links to an ancient curse turning people into werewolves when the moon is full. To save the village and protect Gwen, he must slay the bloodthirsty beast, but he contends with a horrifying family legacy.

Move over Jacob and the Quiluete tribe! This is not your Twilight werewolf. This one is scarier, and how shall I say this…more adult. Before the trailers, the posters alone hooked me in. All the worries over whether or not all the re-shoots would harm the film, or the statements inferring the film wasn’t good enough therefore they had to ‘fix’ it, might have be planted purposefully to add more hype. At least I hope so.

Here is a comparison of The Wolfman circa 1941 photos and posters versus the modern 2010 version.

Movie Poster Side by Side Comparison

Stills: 1941 vs. 2010

They did stay pretty much true to form with the make-up. It just looks enhanced and even more ugly. The special effects make-up back in 1941 wasn’t too shabby.

Are you going to see The Wolfman? Have you ever seen the original?

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3 Comments:

That’s really cool that they’ve actually tried to keep the look of the classic wolfman. the remake, i’m not really sure about but benicio del toro and anthony hopkins are enough to pique my interest. from what i’ve seen, it’s got a really interesting look about it, but i think it might be one of those things that are really divisive amongst people who watch it. i’m pretty sure it’s going to be one of those “love it or hate it” movies.

I write movie reviews for openbooksociety.com and this is one movie I will be reviewing. Not only do I want to see the film because of this, but I love horror, science fiction and the supernatural. So I’d see it regardless of who was in it. Hopkins is a great actor, as is del Toro, so they do bring a lot to the movie even if they aren’t fan favorites. If it’s only all make-up and CGI then the film has a problem. This ain’t 1941. A few shafeshifting scenes and a werewolf premise won’t hold current audiences interest as it did back then. Critics and audiences alike are super picky so I agree with the “love it or hate it” thought. I cross my fingers.